The present invention relates to an audiographics communication system and more particularly to an interactive graphics and audio communications terminal.
In an office or business environment, it is desirable to provide a communication capability for both audio and graphics information. There have been numerous prior art approaches relating to a communications capability for audio and graphics data which in general are quite complex and/or costly.
Part of the problem with the prior art is the difficulty in establishing voice and graphics communications in a suitable fashion. Some prior art systems provide for a terminal which will display graphics data but does not provide suitable interactive audio information with the graphics data. This aspect is undesirable in a business environment such as where a design engineer wishes to discuss a particular graphics display pattern with someone else located within the business. With such a prior art approach it becomes difficult and/or awkward to communicate on an audio basis while discussing the graphics data being displayed.
Some prior art approaches provide for audio and graphics intercommunications, but such approaches often require the use of what is known as an X-Y pad for "writing" the graphics data. The X-Y pad does not result in a common viewing and drawing surface, which often makes interaction among users awkward.
In view of the foregoing background, it is an objective of the present invention to provide an improved audiographics communications system.